Preparing for ACTS requires institutions to complete a detailed student-level file that meets strict formatting, coding, and structural requirements. For most institutions, the greatest challenge is not interpreting outputs or doing reasonableness checks, it is simply building a technically valid file that the ACTS Aggregator Tool will accept. This training series focuses exclusively on helping institutions reach that critical first milestone. 

Participants will learn how to inventory and assess all required data elements, understand variable definitions, identify likely problem areas, and use a structured inventory tool to determine what data exists, what requires transformation, and what gaps must be resolved. The second stage guides institutions through the process of physically constructing the student-level file, cleaning and recoding values, applying ACTS ID rules, and preparing the file for upload. The goal is to help institutions achieve a “validation-clean” submission in the Aggregator Tool by resolving all technical formatting errors. 

The two-part workshop series includes a follow-up check-in for institutions to review progress and troubleshoot key issues. This training is about execution—moving institutions from awareness to a technically correct submission ready for ACTS processing.